Chris Brooks named assistant hockey coach

May 13, 1999

KALAMAZOO -- Bronco alumnus Chris Brooks has been named assistant
hockey coach at Western Michigan University, head coach Jim Culhane
announced today.

"Chris is an outstanding young man who is a perfect fit
for our program," said Culhane. "Chris showed great
commitment to the Broncos as a player and his enthusiasm for the
coaching profession will be a benefit to our program."

Brooks, 26, lettered four seasons at Western Michigan (1993-96)
and finished as the eighth-leading scorer in school history, compiling
57 goals and 127 assists for 184 points in 147 games. A playmaker
with excellent ice vision, Brooks led the Broncos in assists four
straight seasons and twice captured team scoring titles (1994-95,
1992-93). He was a member of two NCAA tournament teams at WMU
(1995-96, 1993-94) and was recipient of the Central Collegiate
Hockey Association's Rookie of the Year Award in 1993. Brooks
also received CCHA All-Academic honorable mention on two occasions.

"This is a great opportunity, something I have dreamt
about and wanted to do since I first came to WMU," Brooks
said of his appointment. "First and foremost, Jim is a great
person and someone I can look to in my development as a coach."

The Stratford, Ont., native recently closed a three-year professional
career which included stops in the Western Professional Hockey
League (WPHL), East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and the American
Hockey League (AHL).

As a rookie for the Amarillo Rattlers of the WPHL in 1996-97,
Brooks was named the league's Most Valuable Player after amassing
110 points (45 goals, 65 assists) in 64 games. The following season,
he earned team MVP honors while skating for the ECHL's Mobile
Mysticks, stockpiling 80 points (30-50) in 70 games. After a short
stint with the Springfield Falcons of the AHL, Brooks returned
to Amarillo for the 1998-99 season as a player/assistant coach
and captured team MVP honors with 105 points (48-57) in 60 games.
He also took part in his second WPHL All-Star Game.